Be Better!

What did you do today? Did you make yourself better? Did you stay stagnate? I found some words of wisdom on TV, but isn't that where most of my wisdom comes from? Believe it or not I found this wisdom nugget from an ex NFL player, on a reality TV show. Flip This House had a guy who owns a company that "flips" homes and does it all in the dramatic face of the camera lens. This jock turned real estate investor is pretty pompous and arrogant but he did produce an eye widening moment for me. He was arguing with one of his employees, trying to get him to get a task accomplished and the employee was just making excuses for why he couldn't get the job done. This jock (a Yale graduate) told his subordinate "What did you do today? What are you dong to make yourself better today?" After an awkward silence (ten points worth) the employee swiftly ended the conversation and...you guess it, he got the job done.

Did Egor the real estate athlete motivate his employee or did a phrase make that employee think like it did to me?

So I asked myself "What DID I do to make myself better today?" I had no answer, I couldn't come up with anything significant enough that I felt I improved as a friend, employee, family member or any other 'title' I hold. Think how powerful it could be if we tried to make ourselves better everyday of our lives. [Insert Wayne's World dream sequence here]I'm not talking about this general "I'm a good person" type of lifestyle, but a genuine effort that is refocused EVERY SINGLE DAY. When you wake up in the morning and look yourself in the eyes while you're brushing your teeth or shaving or getting that nasty zit that crept up overnight (sorry had to break the seriousness up with a zit joke) say goodbye to that person...leave that person behind. Not because they were bad, in actuality they were probably a very good person. Leave them behind because the next time you look in that mirror when you get off of work, back from school, or just need to pee really bad, you'll be better. You will have done everything in your power to become a better person. Think how awesome that would be! [end Wayne's World dream sequence...Dude!...Excellent!...Shwing!]

I doubt that it is possible to be successful in accomplishing this goal, everyday. I'm sure on some days you may take a step backward. I also unfortunately don't know what will make you, me or anyone else a better person tomorrow or the next day. But just as tomorrow isn't set in stone for the outcomes it will bring, your outlook should represent the outlook of a person looking to become better, yet not knowing exactly how or when that moment will arrive.

"So, Ricky how do I find that moment that makes me a better person?"
I'm so glad you asked!

I'm no Dr. Phil or anything but here are my suggestions:

• Be positive
• Work hard
• Do or try something new

and most importantly

• Have fun!

I bet if you at least try to utilize these four things in your daily happenings...if you don't get better...you will have at least given it the ole' college try (and for some of us that takes 5 and a half years).

BE BETTER!

Vacation, Vacation, Vacation

Okay so I didn't get to really go anywhere for the beginning of my break from school - that all changed this past 9 days. Last weekend I was lucky enough to get to go home for a couple days. Then this for labor day weekend I went to Maine. In the last 9 days I have been in the following airports; Albuquerque, Dallas, St. Louis, Chicago, Manchester, and Baltimore.

I've talked about many a Albuquerque trips so I'll just skip to my trip to Maine. The weekend was Greg's birthday and it just so happened that Chris was going to be up there, and then we called Spano to make four of us. Somehow that poor little sleepy town off the rocky cliffs of coastal Maine was able to not burn to the ground when the four of us entered and exited the city in a weekend. Greg was pretty excited that we were all able to make it up to see him. It was great to see those three again but we were still missing a couple people in "the crew" so we weren't complete but we were pretty darn close.

It is a pretty exciting time in all of our lives. I don't want to publicize the lives of people without their express written consent but we are all in great places. We all are in careers that we want to be in, we all are beginning to be successful, and self sufficient members of society. It's a little weird to think that when we met in college only a few years back we were all eating off the dollar menu and scrounging for change just so we could go out on the weekends. Now we can afford to go across the country just to hang out and have a good time.

As for me, I have 4 classes left till my degree (I'm sure most of you know that by now) and I can't be more excited for the next 8 months of my life. The Cowboys are about to start their season, and for the first time I'll be at the season opening game...and many others. The NBA season is about to start and now work is finally getting exciting after our Baron "asshole" Davis induced long summer. Classes are starting for the fall, and I have been rejuvenated by my friends and family this last week and a half. So I have a lot to be excited for, a lot to be thankful for, and a lot that is up in the air and as long as I have a positive attitude the (sorry about to get cliche) sky is the limit.